• BODY enhancers should come with warning tags so that users can be fully aware of the dangers before resorting to using them.

By Sam Phiri –

WITH a good number of tall thin ladies as perfect runway models, or fashion magazine cover page main images; it would be wrong to assume that those are the best women shapes that gentlemen find captivating.

Yes, the wow factor could be there especially from those with extra inches in height, supper skinny bodies elevated in heels, and that classic stage tailored outfit.

But is that what the real world finds alluring? Research has it that in the real world, both women and men, especially in Africa have come to appreciate the fact that yes, the tall rail thin ladies would only be perfect just for showbiz- a lifestyle that goes with a lot of restrictions.

But is that what men or potential life partners look for? It’s debatable!

“Those that have really been straggling to lose the last kilos with a belief that they would be more appealing, especially to men should simply tone down as reality has it that a larger percentage of curvy structured women do really appeal to men,” Dr James Ngoma of Lusaka believes.

With this fact sinking well into many ladies’ minds; especially the singles and middle aged, desperation has pushed them tight in the corner of solution search such that their quest has now hard-pressed them towards challenging God’s blueprint of themselves.

Most ladies, especially in the urban cities like Lusaka where life literally revolves around looks, money and fashion as a ladder to achieving other objectives like lifetime relationships, body shape alterations have somewhat proved workable for them though health practitioners have seen and warned of danger in that.

It seems curvy bodied ladies with large hips, hungry-like tummies, enhanced breasts, chubby lips and straight legs would win more dates from the opposite gender; a fact that remains on the rails of debate.

This is a serious run for the desperate young ladies.

Under your own steam along the streets of Lusaka, business of concoctions supposedly for the successful enhancement of hips, tummy trimming, and breast enmeshment is looming.

This clearly shows how low in self esteem a lot of women have sank to a point of endangering their own lives.

Dr Gertrude Mukuwa Mampwe a Natural Herbal heath expert says it is young women going for what she has described as unsafe drugs in a quest to enhance particular body parts.

“Actually what happens is that hips or the woman’s back get reddened or inflamed just for a particular period of time.

This strains the natural body muscles and skin such that when the chemical expires in one’s body, what usually follows is now the body trying to get back to its original shape.

Now, remember that this is under a skin that was pulled beyond it natural limits. That is why you will find that people will have deformed bodies and wrinkled skins,” she says.

Dr Mampwe says the proliferation of demand for these drugs is worrisome more especially that despite the aftermath dangers they have; there is no caution on the packs.

She says , just the way World Health Organisation (WHO) declared that each pack of harmful substances like tobacco be labelled as such in capital letters, so it should be with the other harmful skin bleaching creams and hip enhancement drugs.

She says many of these enhancers have been proven to be cancerous yet people using them without necessarily knowing how deadly their attempt to enhanced beauty would be.

With a warning tag on such products, Dr Mampwe says it would be good because women and men will be fully aware of the dangers before resorting to using the chemicals and that they would only go ahead at owner’s risk.

Sphiwe Benasho, a multi-award winning beauty pageant says it is unfortunate to see girls who were once naturally beautiful deform their natural body framework in a bid to enlarge hips or breasts.

She concurs with Dr Mampwe that these chemicals actually have more negatives than the short term positives.

She says the gym and good diet is the best way to help shape both men and women with a million of health advantages to it.

“If you are slim and tall like me, you can choose clothes that will definitely shape you well and you will just come out stunning, same with those with big curvy bodies. But if you are obese, the best is the gym and watching your waistline to help you reclaim your original frame,” she says.

Sphiwe says by staying healthy and exercising, one can reclaim her beautiful original shape without any chemical influence which she says is highly risky.

As though they know about these aforementioned dangers from these creams, most women who go for these body reshaping formulas keep their acts behind a black curtain as they are surely aware that they would not be appreciated once discovered.

In Kamwala trading area of Lusaka, a megaphone is heard from some shops as early as 06:00 hours calling potential clients. It is certain that this black market of drugs has a huge cliental base going by how long it has stood and the opening time.

Taking a spy-like walk close to the same stand would reveal women going in and out of these makeshift stalls with products assumedly enhancers in their hands.

When appreciated some of the women suspected to have procured the enhancers found near the makeshifts around 06:00 hours and in the evening, denied using the drugs.

However, the author managed to convince one woman who agreed to speak on condition of anonymity saying she procured the drugs because she wants to be appreciated by men as women with curvy bodies were on demand.

Asked if she appreciated the side effects of the enhancers, she said she was not aware of any because she has not heard of somebody dying as resulting enhancing her body features.

This is a clear indication that some desperate women, those in the cities in particular, are ready to risk their health just for the sake of what they would assume as good looks. But is it surely worth it?